Jordan: "I am a volunteer and a refugee"

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“My name is Khalil and I am 37 years old. I am from the city of Homs, Syria, where I used to work as a lawyer. Now, my office is destroyed, I lost everything and I have no income anymore. When the bombing started in my neighborhood, I left with my wife and my two children. I did not think twice about our escape, I just wanted to get somewhere safe. First we fled to Damascus, the Syrian capital city. But when the fighting started there, we went to Amman. We crossed the border in a rented car.

'Daddy, we will be killed soon'

My son, who is eight years old, was very traumatized by the time we arrived here in Jordan. He did not want to drink nor eat and we had to force him to take in some food. Every night he had nightmares. He could not sleep and always told me: ‘Daddy, we will be killed soon.’ His condition is slowly improving and he goes to school. I heard from other Syrian refugees about this center run by CARE International in Jordan. I registered and received cash and emergency supplies. After I heard that CARE uses volunteers, I immediately filled out an application.

'It is important to be useful'

Now, I am assisting the relief effort for three months and come here every day to help out with the distributions from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon. I receive 13 Jordanian Dinar (13 Euro) per day from CARE for my support. Of course it is good to get some financial support, but it is also important for me to be useful. It is my dream to go back to Syria and start working again.”

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